Faculty

Lesley Bogad

Dr. Lesley Bogad teaches undergraduate and graduates courses in foundations of education and research methods at Rhode Island College. As a part of the TESL programs, she teaches FNED 547: Introduction to Classroom Research to help guide practicing and aspiring teachers to become more reflective practitioners in the field. Lesley received her B.A. from Barnard College at Columbia University, and her Master's and Ph.D. in Cultural Foundations of Education at Syracuse University. Her research examines issues of social justice as they relate to schooling and public life in the US. In 2005, she served as a NECIT Fellow sponsored by the New England Center on Inclusive Teaching. In 2007, she received a Leadership Award from the Rhode Island College Unity Center recognizing her advocacy work in multicultural affairs, and her service to underrepresented groups on the RIC campus. Dr. Bogad is currently an Associate Professor of Educational Studies and Gender and Women's Studies.

Rebecca Bueno

Rebecca Bueno is an adjunct instructor in the Educational Studies Department, where she teaches English as a Second Language. She completed a Masters Degree in Education with a concentration in TESL from Rhode Island College. She began her professional career after earning a Baccalaureate degree from the University of Rhode Island with a concentration in English and Elementary Education in 2003. For over ten years, she has taught urban youth of diverse languages and cultures in Providence, RI. Rebecca is proficient in Spanish and an active member of RITELL.

Nancy Cloud

Nancy Cloud, Cooridnator of the M.Ed. in TESL Program and Professor in the Department of Educational Studies at Rhode Island College, is a specialist in ESL, bilingual and dual language education. Prior to her work in Rhode Island College she coordinated the M.S. TESL and Bilingual Education Programs at Hofstra University for ten years and federally funded projects at the Institute for Urban and Minority Education at Teachers College, Columbia University for six years. She served on the TESOL Board of Directors (2000-2003) and was on the committee that produced the first national ESL Standards for Pre-K-12 Students in 1997. She began her career as a middle school bilingual/ESL teacher in San Francisco. Dr. Cloud publishes regularly on topics pertaining to the appropriate assessment and instruction of English Language Learners K-12. She received her doctorate from Teachers College, Columbia University and is proficient in Spanish.

Janet Johnson

Janet Donnell Johnson is an assistant professor in the Educational Studies Department at Rhode Island College, where she teaches courses in literacy and English education. She earned her doctorate from Indiana University-Bloomington in 2005. While working on her degree, Janet served as the English Education Coordinator for IU, teaching courses in composition, writing methods, and practicum; serving as liaison between the English Education program and the teachers in the community; and coordinating the activities of the Indiana English Teachers Collaborative (ETC). Before that, Janet taught English for six years at an alternative high school. These experiences helped shape her pedagogical and research priorities, which include social justice in education, the literacy practices of non-mainstream students, and teacher research.

Mustafa Ozcan

Dr. Ozcan, a native of Turkey, began his professional life as an elementary school teacher and taught bilingual students for four years. He continued his education, became certified for secondary school teaching and completed his Master's degree in Social Foundations of Education at the University of Ankara, College of Educational Sciences in 1981. Dr. Ozcan worked as a high school teacher and administrator, and also as an assistant superintendent in different parts of Turkey. He came to the United States in the spring of 1988 and completed his Ph.D. degree in the Sociology of Education at the University of Iowa in 1993. Before finishing his Ph.D. began to teach courses in multicultural education at the University of Iowa and became a full time instructor at Clarke College in Iowa in 1992, where he taught for nine years. In 2001, he came to Rhode Island College. His research focuses on the impact of culture and socioeconomic status on learning and teaching. His teaching strategies reflect the social constructivist approach in education.

Since 1992, he has taught FNED 502, Social Issues in Education to students in the M.Ed. in TESL and other graduate programs. He also teaches Cultural Foundations of Education, Educational Research, Measurement and Assessment, Multicultural Education (under various titles). From 2002-2004, he ran the workshop, Service Learning Projects in K-12 Classes for Rhode Island teachers. Since 2005, he has offered a Cultural Competency workshop for teachers from Providence, Central Falls, Pawtucket, Woonsocket, and Newport school districts. His latest article, The Education We Need: Democratic, Diversified, and Experiential was published in 2006 in Issues in Teaching and Learning.

Barbara Al-Sabek

Barbara Al-Sabek teaches ESL to adults enrolled in the Intensive ESL Program on campus and also at the Genesis Center in Providence. She holds an M.Ed. in TESL from Rhode Island College which she received in 1994 as well as a B.A. in History and Political Science received in 1988. She presents regularly at Adult Education conferences on topics involving pronunciation, alphabetics & literacy instruction, error analysis, workforce readiness, health literacy and persistence among adult learners.

Amanda Sox Agudelo, program director

Amanda Sox Agudelo is an Assistant Professor with the TESL Program in the Educational Studies Department. Dr. Sox Agudelo also serves as the Coordinator for the ESL Certification Cohort III and for Bilingual and Bicultural Certification. Dr. Sox Agudelo is also a member of the Rhode Island Roadmap to Language Excellence Project. Prior to working at Rhode Island College, Dr. Sox Agudelo had 10 years public school experience as a Spanish teacher, ESL teacher, and ESL school-level curriculum specialist. She also has had experience coordinating and implementing a Kindergarten dual language program. Dr. Sox Agudelo received her PhD in Language, Reading and Culture from The University of Arizona in 2011. Her research interests include preparing PK-12 teachers to work effectively with English learners, especially in regions with new populations of or rapid growth of immigrant and EL students; the development and implementation of dual language and bilingual education programs; and development of biliteracy and bilingualism for all students.